On this date in 1980, one of televisions biggest cliff-hangers captured the imagination of the American public. Who shot JR?

JR Ewing was the cornerstone of a wildly popular TV show on CBS called Dallas. Long before the internet, social media or even personal computers, network television was where we found our entertainment.

If you were lucky you had four or five channels, NBC, CBS, ABC, TBS and PBS, back in the day when we watched those channels you had to get up out of your chair, walk over to the TV and change the channel….. horrors, right?!?!??

In 1980, Dallas was the number one show on television, it centered on The Ewing family, a rich oil family who lived in Texas.

JR was the dastardly, pompous tycoon, older brother who never saw a potential deal he couldn’t manipulate or a woman he didn’t feel entitled to romance, all while his wife sat home, drank vodka and popped pills.

During the 1980 season, JR had managed to create enemies with everyone, he had cheated his family members, business partners, mistresses and wife.

In the final scene of the season, JR was in his office late at night and heard a noise in the outer office, when he walked into the room to investigate, he was shot, falling to the ground and lying in a pool of blood as the credits appeared on the screen.

For that entire summer the country was locked in intrigue for Who Shot JR? There were songs written, rumors surfaced, the mystery even made the cover of Time Magazine.

When the season returned in August, everyone was abuzz, not only did we not know if JR survived the shots, but we didn’t know who did it.

As the mystery was revealed we learned the would-be assassin was Kristin. One of JR’s lovers and his sister-in-law.

During those hey-day years of nighttime soap operas, the shows would end every season with a great cliff-hanger, keeping fans interested in the show until it came back on the air in the Fall, but none of them were as big as WHO SHOT JR?

When my pen touches the paper, the magic that happens is beyond my wildest dreams.

The figures that I have created for over fifty years have made me famous beyond my imagination and allowed me to bring the simplistic voice of a child to the world’s forefront.

It is hard for me to believe that a simple idea so many years ago would become something that the world identifies with. From a simple newspaper feature, my cartoons have become television shows, movies, stuffed animals, books, characters in theme parks, on every street Halloween night and even traveling ice shows. These characters that formed in my mind and came to life on paper have allowed me to express a viewpoint to the world.

I’m no great artist, I know that, but what I am is a man who is able to express an opinion through the eyes of a clumsy young boy who relates more to his dog than he does his friends.

This boy, his dog and group of misfit friends have given me wealth and fame, but more than that, they have taught me the joys of a simple message, a message that is quoted and shared by parents with their children and children with their children; they have allowed me to share my views with a world that more often than not just needs a little joy with their morning paper.

When my characters were given a voice and color was added to their world, they came to life and now just the sound of a childlike voice takes my fans to a place where everything is made possible in just a few frames of newsprint.

I started sharing my drawn family with the world in 1950, it was a much simpler time then and as the world has changed, my kids have stayed the same.

Although they are now fifty years old, they haven’t aged a day, they are still the same rotund group of feitsy, nerdy, hard to understand, shy, lyrical, gullible characters they were the day they debuted to the world.

If I had known the world was going to fall in love with them, I may have changed some things, but as I look back on it now, I know they are perfect in all their imperfections.

I love these kids like they are my own family, because if I am truthful, they have become members of my family. Like those who take time to visit with them every day, you can find members of your own family and situations from your own life in the lives of these kids who visit you.

Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, Sally, Peppermint Patty, Woodstock, Snoopy and Charlie Brown have become cultural icons because of their single focus of bringing good to the world.

On this date in 2000, the last original “Peanuts” comic appeared in your newspapers bringing to an end the stories of these kids who made my life so special. That last original comic, was brought to you the day after I passed away at the age of 77.

I am Charles M. Schulz and I am the cartoonist who brought you Peanuts. I am also the “voice” of today’s Jeff Goins, 500 Word Challenge your author chose to use in his assignment “write in someone else’s voice.”

On this date in 1971, television changed forever…. at least in the Rumsey household.

On January 12, 1971, the first episode of All in the Family premiered on CBS.

In addition to all the hilarity that would take today’s professionally offended into overdrive, the very first episode featured something else that had never been on TV before…. a toilet flush. (The sound of the flush anyway.)

All in the Family would never make it onto television today, a shame that we can’t laugh at ourselves any longer without someone being offended.

All in the Family made household names out of Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner. It was the first of a trilogy that included other shows that were just as politically incorrect Maude and The Jeffersons.

As a family we laughed at All in the Family, we laughed at the jokes and we laughed when “Archie” made fun of people just like us. We laughed when the shows first aired, for years we laughed in re-runs and my brother even got the full series on DVD for Christmas this year and as we watched a couple of episodes on Christmas night, we laughed again.

All in the Family shined a light on our society, it was often ugly, it was usually inappropriate, but it was always done in humor.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”